The city of El Cajon opened the doors of its brand-new 15,000-square-foot animal shelter Saturday.
The project was 10 years in the making and funded by a voter-approved tax increase. The new building is triple the size of the former facility, which was built in the 1950s.
“This is a no-kill facility," El Cajon's director of Public Works Dirk Epperson said. "Any healthy animal that is adoptable will not be killed."
For its opening day, the shelter offered $5 dollar adoptions. Many came on the hunt for the newest addition to their families.
Sierra Heidtbrink found a very special cat, who was turned in to the facility on her birthday.
"She is an older cat and so we wouldn't have to train her with our dogs," she said. "She has been around dogs and other cats so that's good for us."
Heidtbrink said she is happy to see such a big space for stray animals in her community.
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The new facility can house 135 dogs and cats. It also has a medical facility and grooming space.
The El Cajon Animal Shelter will serve the cities of El Cajon and La Mesa. It will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
